Music of the Baroque makes some history with Glover’s contract extended through 2023

Fri Aug 09, 2019 at 2:17 pm

By Lawrence A. Johnson

Jane Glover will serve as Music of the Baroque’s music director for 20 years through 2023. File photo: Elliot Mandel

Jane Glover will continue to lead Music of the Baroque through the ensemble’s 50th anniversary season and three years beyond.

MOB announced Friday that it has extended Glover’s contract as music director through the 2022-23 season. That will make the 70-year-old British conductor, who took the MOB reigns in 2002, the longest tenured current leader of a Chicago classical organization.

The extended contract calls for her to conduct four of MOB’s eight programs in 2020-21 (the same as 2019-20) and a minimum of three programs in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

“I am so privileged to be a part of Music of the Baroque,” said Glover, in a statement released by MOB. “I adore the musicians, and cherish the work that we do together in this most amazing repertoire. I see the coming season as a journey to our 50th anniversary in 2020-21, and beyond.”

“Our audience increased by 11% last season, largely because of Jane’s superb programming and the insight and excitement she brings to each season,” said executive director Declan McGovern in a released statement. He added “Jane Glover has raised the artistic quality and programming to new levels, taken the orchestra on tour to California, and premiered works new to MOB like Handel’s Alexander’s Feast and Judas Maccabaeus and Haydn’s Theresa Mass and The Seasons. We are thrilled to have such an esteemed conductor—one of the very first women conductors to find success on the international stage.”

Glover’s anticipated two decades at Music of the Baroque would make her the longest-serving woman conductor at a major local organization and one of the longest-serving music directors in Chicago history.

Her two decades will equal James Levine’s run at the Ravinia Festival (1973-93) and put her close to Georg Solti’s 22 years (1969-91) as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Glover’s predecessor, MOB founder Thomas Wikman, headed the organization for 25 years. Frederick Stock’s 37-year reign at the CSO (1905-42) remains unbeaten for local longevity.

Music of the Baroque’s 49th season opens with Jane Glover conducting Bach’s Mass in B minor. Performances are 7:30 p.m. September 14 at the Harris Theater and 3 p.m. September 15 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. baroque.org.